Planetree Award for Suffolk Health System AVP

HRHCare Community Health is pleased to announce that Carlos Ortiz, HRHCare AVP of Operations for Suffolk County, will be presented with the May 2016 Planetree Spirit Award for Excellence in Patient Care. The HRHCare Planetree Institute presents these awards to employees who go above and beyond to make health care more personalized and create a warm and welcoming environment for all. Among its nine Health Centers in Suffolk County is the HRHCare Kraus Family Health Center at Southampton Hospital.

Hailed by members of both the operations and clinical teams as the “Ultimate Ambassador of HRHCare”, Carlos Ortiz consistently and exceptionally lives out the organizational mission. Despite the heavy work-load that comes with being the AVP of Operations for the nine HRHCare sites in Suffolk County, Carlos can often be found in the lobby of one of his Health Centers listening to the suggestions and concerns of patients and directing them to the right person to get the care they need. His approach with his staff is the same, greeting everyone by their first name and treating each individual with warmth and sincerity. He holds his staff to a high standard and only expects the very best from them. He keeps his team very much in the loop as to changes, improvements and transitions on an operational level within HRHCare and is always happy to receive their input. It is not uncommon to find Carlos already on site before 6 AM doing anything from prepping for an important meeting to putting away supplies. No task is too big or too small for Carlos Ortiz.

“There is no challenge that Carlos cannot handle,” said Dr. Nadia Arif, Site Medical Director of the HRHCare Elsie Owens Health Center at Coram. “He exemplifies what extra effort and motivation can achieve and is a constant source of inspiration to the people around him. He has a big heart and is constantly helping providers execute the highest quality medical care.”

An employee of HRHCare for five years, Carlos is truly passionate about access to quality health care for all across our nation, regardless of legal status. “High quality service to our patients comes first,” said Carlos. “Our great staff at HRHCare knows that the patient comes first no matter what their situation or background.” When not providing excellent patient care, Carlos enjoys spending time at the beach and traveling with his husband, Miguel. They are looking to start the process of adopting a child in the near future.

Planetree is the global leader in advancing patient-centered care solutions, integrating the technology of modern medicine with the healing dimensions of compassion, comfortable surroundings, shared knowledge and freedom to make educated choices. HRHCare has been an affiliate since 1996 and remains the only Federally Qualified Health Center to be a part of this alliance. The HRHCare Planetree Institute was established in 2012 and provides state-of-the-art training to prepare staff in delivering passionate and personalized care. The HRHCare Planetree Spirit Award honors employees who have been nominated by their colleagues for going above and beyond to provide individualized patient care and enhance health care services in their respective facility.

www.planetree.org

www.hrhcare.org